Friday, July 9, 2010

CURRY & ONION CHAPATIS

During the summertime we all want to eat lighter dishes and we can't get bothered to steam up the kitchen by cooking for hours without end. Generally, we prefer refreshing foods that are fuss free. It is for that reason that most people particularly enjoy wraps which are not only delicious, but also very practical whether we are having a relaxed meal at home, a party, a picnic, organizing a happy hour or watching our favorite series/sports show on TV...

As I had made a ras-el-hanout ratatouille (home recipe) with all the lovely seasonal and regional vegetables (fresh garlic, onions, eggplants, zucchinis, red bell pepper and tomatoes) I had bought, I thought that it would be a great idea to use it as a filling in some kind of flatbread.

Although I love Mexican flour tortillas I wanted to make something else so I decided upon preparing "Chapatis" which we had not eaten for quite a while. I had made that Indian speciality a lot in the past, but had somehow forgotten about it. Time to go back to an old classic.

"Chapatis" are pan-fried, unleavened flatbreads which are also known under the name "Roti" and which hail from the Indian subcontinent. Similar versions of this fingerfoood can also be found in Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Ghana and Tanzania) and Turkestan. They are made with whole wheat flour, water (or milk), salt and a little ghee, and can be flavored as wished (onions, chilli, bell pepper, garlic, coconut milk, grated coconut, garam massala, etc...). Traditionally, "Chapatis" are used along with fingers to scoop up Indian foods such as vegetables, chutneys, raitas, stews and curries.

This time instead of following a recipe to the letter I prefered to invent mine on the basis of what I saw, tested in the past and read. I love "OnionChapatis" and came to the conclusion that it would be great if I added some curry powder and a little garlic powder to them. The result was fantastic.

These "Curry & Onion Chapatis" were so fragrant, addictive and delicious. The flavor was exhalirating and the texture was heavenly. Pure Indian bliss!

Method:1. Put the Flour, salt, curry, garlic, chilli powder (if used) and ground pepper in a bowl. Whisk.2. Add the milk and 2 tsp ghee.3. Mix thouroughly in order to get a ball of dough.4. Knead for about 10 minutes until you get a smooth dough.5. Let the dough rest in a fresh place for about 30 minutes.6. Meanwhile, mix the salt and onions together and let rest.7. Knead again the dough thouroughly, then divide it into 10 pieces.8. Squeeze out the liquid out of the onions.9. Flatten the piece of dough into a 2.3 inches (6cm) round, add 3/4 tsp onions, fold the dough over and shape into a ball.10. Roll out carefully into a 6.2 inches (16cm) round.11. Grease a heavy-based frying pan with ghee or melted butter and place over medium high heat.12. Add one chapati at a time and cook until blisters appear, then turn and cook on the other side until golden brown.13. Brush the chapati with a little ghee or melted butter and serve hot.

Remarks:Instead of using milk, you can use water or a mixture of milk and water. Keep in mind that milk makes the chapatis softer.If the dough is too sticky, then add a little flour.The more you knead the dough, the smoother the it becomes and the smoother the dough is, the softer the chapatis

Serving suggestions:Serve those Chapatis with Indian vegetables (raw or strir-fried), chutney, raita, stew and curry. You can also fill them with whatever you like (ratatouille, grated cheese like cheddar, Philadelphia, fish, salad, colslaw, hummus, chilli con carne, etc...).

Wow! looks so good with the goodness of wholemeal, i doubt wheather we'll be able to make such beautiful and such soft chapathis. I make chapathi's for such a long time but i don't get perfect rounds like this.

Rosa...what I appreciate most about you is how you always manage to stir things up in the kitchen and put your signature on it.I love what you did with this recipe...I can practically smell them off the screen ;o)

Wow I didnt know you were fond of indian food that much, its really good to know that, your version of roti sounds very delicious and i loved the ratatouille, can you pls post the recipe for ratatouille as well?

Heat a frying pan, add 3 tbs olive oil and the onion until translucid.Add the garlic, stir-fry for 1 minute.Add the eggplant, stir-fry over medium high heat for about 5 minutes.Add the zucchini, stir-fry for 5 minutes.Add the bell pepper, ras-el-hanout and herbs, stir-fry for 2 minutes.Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, stock, vinegar, wine, fish sauce and let simmer for at least one hour (add water if too thick/dry - it should be thickish though).Salt and pepper as needed (and add 3 more tbs olive oil - optional).